Retired for A Hundred Years: Re-Employment for the Apocalypse Bigshot!-Chapter 502 - 497: Special Superpower User

Lao Qi didn’t understand why the Commander wanted him to return to the small village and bring the girl he had previously bought ahead of time.

Until he reached the edge of the desert and saw the girl walking alone.

She carried a worn cloth bag filled to the brim on her back.

Lao Qi looked at her with a complicated expression, and the girl’s eyes brightened a bit when she saw him. She ran over and timidly asked, "Sir, can I leave with you all ahead of time?"

Lao Qi watched her for a moment, didn’t ask for a reason, and squatted down in front of her.

"Get on, I’ll take you away."

The girl hesitated, yet Lao Qi roughly hoisted her onto his shoulder and ran deep into the desert.

The howling mountain wind brushed past the girl’s ears; she hadn’t felt such cool wind in a long time.

Her feelings shifted from fear to curiosity, then she opened her eyes and raised her head.

Watching as the sand dunes around them gradually faded into the distance.

Watching the shallow footprints grow longer and longer.

Witnessing the unforgettable desert landscape unfold.

...

By the time the sky began to brighten, Lao Qi caught up with the main group.

A crowd was setting up tents under a sand dune, preparing to make a fire and cook.

Water was scarce in the desert, and Lao Qi had hurriedly marched through the night, now feeling both thirsty and hot.

"Shi Er, Shi Yi, get me some water, my throat’s smoking."

Shi Er pulled a bottle of mineral water from space and tossed it to him.

Lao Qi eagerly gulped down the water, the sound of swallowing resonating from his throat, causing the girl to purse her chapped lips.

She wished she could drink some water too...

But she dared not say anything.

Only after Lao Qi finished the entire bottle and wanted more did Shi Er say, "The Commander ordered that to cross the desert successfully, food and water will be rationed from now on. This bottle is for both you and her, next water break is in two hours."

Lao Qi then noticed the little girl’s pale lips, awkwardly twisting the water bottle, "In two hours, I’ll let you drink a couple more mouthfuls of my water."

The little girl looked at the transparent water bottle, feeling somewhat disappointed.

She really wanted to take a lick.

"Come eat."

Suddenly, a cool female voice called from not far away.

The little girl saw that it was the woman who wanted to buy her, and she briskly ran over.

She was perceptive enough to know that the woman had a certain level of authority here.

The woman tossed a fist-sized Bao Zi to her and pointed to a porridge cooking over the fire, "Serve yourself if you want to drink, the bowls are beside it."

The girl’s eyes lit up, and she quickly grabbed a bowl from the stack on the ground, scooped a small ladleful from the pot, and placed it in the bowl.

Not caring if it was hot or not, she drank it eagerly.

She was extremely thirsty, the water in the porridge saved her.

She wanted another bowl.

She sneaked a glance around, seeing that no one was paying attention to her, all absorbed in their own meals and conversations.

Daringly, she served herself another bowl.

This time she drank less hurriedly.

She looked again at the snow-white Bao Zi in her hand, suddenly reluctant to eat it, just as she was about to stash it away, the woman commanded again, "Food is rationed, no waste allowed."

The girl paused, glanced at the gradually warmer sun, knowing that if she didn’t eat, the Bao Zi might spoil before evening.

Though she had eaten spoiled rice before, it truly tasted unpleasant.

Reluctantly, she bit into the Bao Zi.

It had meat?

She hadn’t eaten meat in a long time, regretting slightly that she started eating too late.

She chewed the meat in her mouth carefully, savoring the taste in hopes of etching the flavor into her memory.

Watching the girl devour the Bao Zi as if it were treasure, Lao Qi tossed the Bao Zi in his hand to her as well.

"To repay you for those sips of water, we’re even."

The girl clumsily caught it, thanked him repeatedly, visibly joyful.

She felt the best decision she’d made after being abandoned by her parents was entering the desert alone to fight for her survival.

After eating, the girl saw the food on the ground vanish abruptly, utterly shocked.

Only a deity could perform such a miracle, right?

She immediately dropped to her knees, earnestly praying to the superpower user ranking twelve, muttering words.

Shi Er was startled, taking a step back.

Upon hearing what she said, he couldn’t help but laugh, "Little girl, this is space ability, not divine power."

The girl didn’t understand, so Shi Er displayed the untouched items appearing and disappearing before her again.

The girl’s eyes widened.

Shi Er chuckled, pointing to Lao Qi who was drinking porridge nearby, "The man who brought you back, he’s a speed ability user. Didn’t you notice he runs particularly fast?"

The girl sneaked a glance at Lao Qi and nodded repeatedly.

"Everyone here is a superpower user. You’re lucky the Commander took an interest in you. Serve her well, and the future is limitless."

The girl looked towards Ji Ning and nodded earnestly.

The Commander would be her lifelong master henceforth.

***

Time in the desert stretched infinitely, at first everyone eagerly toured the desert as a scenic spot, but later it shifted to a forced march, eager to cross quickly.

Resting during the day, marching swiftly at night.

As an ordinary person, even Masha managed to keep up with them, able to act as a guide in the desert.

"When my father was young, he visited Black Magnet Mountain, barely making it back. Upon returning, he drew a simple map. I remember the direction to Black Magnet Mountain being over there."

Masha pointed to a constellation resembling a long snake in the sky, "Father said seeing the Snake God in summer means we’ve stepped into the Devil’s territory, facing the Snake God will lead us into the Devil’s realm, where all compasses fail because the Devil doesn’t want its prey to leave. Captain, your compass has failed."

The Captain of the Twelve Guards immediately looked at Ji Ning.

At this moment, Ji Ning had already closed her eyes, slightly raised her chin, quietly sensing the energy in the air.

Countless points and threads of light danced before her, like little elves.

Finally, amidst a chaotic mess of points and threads, she found one special thread.

They seemed to scatter chaotically, yet they all lead in one direction.

That direction was precisely where Masha pointed.

She swiftly captured that thread with her spiritual power, and a violent energy almost invaded her brain through it.

It was indeed ferocious.

She opened her eyes, gazing at the group, her calm eyes holding slight fluctuations.

"Proceed according to Masha’s direction."

No one hesitated, they adjusted their path and started to march.

Masha, walking alongside Ji Ning, quietly asked, "Older sister master, did you sense the power of the Devil?"

"You saw it?"

"I noticed more black gas surrounding sister."

Ye Xingyan overheard and felt a twinge of envy.

Ji Ning truly lived up to being the Commander, even casually picking a little girl with extraordinary superpower talent.

This little girl was only 10 years old, yet she could see the energy fluctuations around everyone, which she referred to as colored gas.

Initially unaware of what they were, she assumed everyone naturally had them, never speaking of it to others.

Relying on these colored gases, she gauged adult emotions, securing job opportunities for her father, allowing her family to live a bit better.

Had her father not been without income for several months, she wouldn’t have been sold.

However, she had chosen the buyer herself, pleading with her father to inquire.

She claimed Ji Ning’s color was the most beautiful she’d ever seen.

A riot of colors, extremely lovely.